Programmed positioning device for the needle selection jacks in a jack support wheel of a circular jacquard knitting machine

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to a programmed positioning device for the needle selection jacks in a jack support wheel of a circular jacquard knitting machine. In the device of the invention the jack support wheel is supported by a support frame and is intermittently rotated so that each radial slot of the wheel is brought succesively into a predetermined stop position. Furthermore, the support frame slidingly supports radially directed thrust means, which are movable towards the wheel in order to be radially inserted into each slot and to engage one or both the jacks housed within the slot.

United States Patent [191 Meoni [451 Sept. 30, 1975 [76] Inventor: Dino Meoni, Via Ricasoli, 25, Prato (Florence), Italy [22] Filed: Apr. 23, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 353,737

OTHER PUBLICATIONS Gross, Knitting Times, Dec. 4, 1972, Vol. 41, No. 50, pp. 92 & 93.

Primary ExaminerWm. Carter Reynolds Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Diller, Brown, Ramik & Wight [57] ABSTRACT This invention relates to a programmed positioning device for the needle selection jacks in a jack support wheel of a circular jacquard knitting machine. In the device of the invention the jack support wheel is supported by a support frame and is intermittently rotated so that each radial slot of the wheel is brought succesively into a predetermined stop position. Furthermore, the support frame slidingly supports radially directed thrust means, which are movable towards the wheel in order to be radially inserted into each slot and to engage one or both the jacks housed within the slot.

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U.S. Patent Sept. 30,1975 Sheet 18 of 18 3,908,402

PROGRAMMED POSITIONING DEVICE FOR THE NEEDLE SELECTION JACKS IN A JACK SUPPORT WHEEL OF A CIRCULAR JACQUARD KNITTING MACHINE The present invention relates to a programmed positioning device for the needle selection jacks in a jack support wheel of a circular jacquard knitting machine.

Circular jacquard knitting machines are notably provided with wheels which support a plurality ofjacks the purpose of which is to regulate the selection of the needles for making the required patterns on the fabrics. Normally these wheels are provided with a plurality of radial equidistant slots inclined to the axis of the wheel, in each of which is housed in a radially slidable manner a pair of superimposed jacks, which can move between a first position in which the outside ends of the jacks are both substantially in line with the external profile of the wheel, a second position in which a first jack is withdrawn with respect to the second, and a third position in which both jacks are withdrawn with respect to the first stated position. The distribution of the positions pre-chosen for the various pairs of jacks housed in the various radial slots of the wheel evidently determines the pattern of the finished fabric.

Until a short time ago, each time said distribution of the jack positions in a wheel had to be changed (for example when passing from one pattern to another), it was necessary to completely dismantle the wheel, remove the jacks from their seats and replace them in their new radial chosen positions. This evidently led to large loss of time and resultant undesirably high production costs.

At the present time undoubted progress has already been made, in the sense of providing wheels capable of enabling all the jacks to be returned to their initial position without the need to dismantle the entire wheel.

This has been obtained by constructing the wheel in two superimposed parts which are rotatable one with respect to the other and by the use of a suitable key which, by rotating together with the rotatable part, acts on the inside ends of the jacks (supported by the fixed part) in such a manner as to thrust them towards the previously defined initial position.

However the problem of the new positioning of the jacks has remained unsolved, and this for wheels of the aforementioned new type is done by manually inserting a peg into the various slots of the wheel.

It can be easily imagined that this leads to a considerable loss of time and a constant danger of error (which would make it necessary to re-position all the jacks).

The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a device which enables the jacks of a jack support wheel of a circular jacquard knitting machine to be very easily and rapidly positioned.

This object is attained by the device according to the invention which in its most general lines comprises a support frame for the wheel, means for producing angular stepwise forward movements of the wheel in such a manner that each of the radial slots of the wheel is brought successively into a predetermined position in which it is momentarily halted, and thrust means slidably supported by said support frame in a position aligned with a slot as it comes in turn into said predetermined position such that following a control action resulting in their axial movement they are inserted radially into said slot and engage with both the jacks housed in the slot or, selectively, only with said first jack, so as to move the jacks from the first to the third or to the second of the aforementioned positions respectively.

Two embodiments of the device according to the invention are shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings, with reference to which they are described hereinafter in detail for a better understanding of the characteristics of the present invention.

In the drawings:

FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 are three different perspective views of a first device according to the invention;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are perspective views showing the manner by which it is possible to select the two types of operation of the thrust means which determine the movement of the jacks into the third or second of their assumable positions respectively;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of said thrust means on the line VIVI of FIG. 7, said thrust means being considered in the rest position shown in FIGS. 1-3;

FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of said thrust means on the line VIIVII of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of said thrust means on the line VIIIVIII of FIG. 9, said thrust means being considered in their working position as shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view of said thrust means on the line IXIX of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a partly full and partly sectional view of a jack support wheel in which the jacks housed in the selective slot are in their first position;

FIGS. 11 and 12 are detailed views on an enlarged scale of a slot of the jack support wheel in which the jacks, following the action of the thrust means, have been moved into the third and second positions respectively;

FIG. 13 is the basic circuit diagram of the electrical circuit associated with the device shown in the preceding figures;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a second device according to the invention;

FIGS. 15, 16 and 17 are perspective views on an enlarged scale showing the method of operating the thrust means and relative operating means included in the device of FIG. 14;

FIGS. 18 and 19 are substantially plan views of said thrust and operating means of FIGS. 15, 16 and 17 FIG. 20 is a further perspective view of said thrust and operating means of FIGS. 15, 16 and 17.

The device shown in FIGS. l-l3 comprises a base frame 1, on which are fixed an electrical supply transformer 2, a rectangular frame 3 and a bridge frame 4.

The frame 3 (FIGS. 1-3) supports rotatably a shaft 5 on which the jack support wheel to be adjusted, indicated overall by the reference numeral 20, is removably fixed by means of wedge blocks 18. As can be seen from FIGS. 10-12, the jack support wheel 20 is of the type (conventional) provided with a plurality (normally 144) of radial slots 33 inclined to the axis of the wheel, in each of which are housed two superimposed jacks 21 and 22 which together can assume three different positions defined by the mutual engagement between a projection 23 on the jack 21 and a notch 24 on the jack 22, by the selectively obtainable engagement between a projection 25 on the jack 21 and one or other of two annular grooves 26 and 27 on a ring 28, and by the selectively obtainable engagement between 

1. A programmed positioning device for the needle selection jacks in a jack support wheel of a circular jacquard knitting machine of the type provided with a plurality of equidistant radial slots in each of which is housed in a radially slidable manner a pair of superimposed jacks movable between a first position in which the outer ends of the jacks are both substantially in line with the external profile of the wheel, a second position in which a first jack is withdrawn with respect to a second jack and a third position in which both jacks are withdrawn with respect to the first stated position, characterised in that said programmed positioning device comprises a support frame for the wheel, means for producing angular stepwise forward movements of the wheel in such a manner that each of the radial slots of the wheel is brought successively into a predetermined position in which it is momentarily halted, thrust means slidably supported by said support frame in a position aligned with a slot as it comes in turn into said predetermined position, means for setting the thrust means to selectively move one or both of the jacks, and means for imparting axial movement to said thrust means whereby said thrust means is inserted radially into said slot and engage either with both the jacks housed in the slot, or selectively, only with said first jack, so as to move the jacks from the first to the third or to the second of the aforementioned positions respectively.
 2. A device as claimed in claim 1, in which said thrust means is an elongated flat tongue movable along its own axis, said setting means include means for moving said tongue transverse to its own axis, and the extent of the transverse moveMent being such as to enable the tongue to engage only with one of the jacks housed in the selected slot when the tongue is subjected to axial movement following transverse movement, whereas only the axial movement without the addition of transverse movement causes the tongue to engage with both jacks of the selected slot.
 3. A device as claimed in claim 2, comprising means sensitive to the axial movements of the tongue operatively connected to said angular stepwise producing means to make said wheel move forward by one step for each axial movement of the tongue towards the selected slot, and control means for making said angular stepwise producing work stepwise independently of the operation of the tongue.
 4. A device as claimed in claim 2 wherein said setting means additionally includes a slide, means mounting said slide for transverse movement relative to the axial movement of said tongue, said slide carries said tongue, and means coupling a lever to said slide whereby movement imparted to said lever imparts said transverse movement to said tongue through said slide.
 5. A device as claimed in claim 4 wherein said tongue is carried by a shaft in part defining said thrust means, said shaft terminating in a knob, and said knob and lever are positioned in such a manner that they can both be operated by the same hand.
 6. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said thrust means is a pair of flat tongues, each tongue being disposed in such a manner as to engage with only one of the two jacks housed in the selected slot, and means for aligning said setting means for contacting both or only one of said tongues.
 7. A device as defined in claim 6 wherein said movement imparting means and setting means include a common lever.
 8. A device as defined in claim 7 including means pivotally mounting said lever for pivotal movement in a plane generally transverse to the axis of movement of said thrust means.
 9. A device as defined in claim 8 wherein said pivotally mounting means also mounts said lever for pivotal movement in a plane generally common to the axis of movement of said thrust means. 